Based on Brian Greene's book, this three-part Nova program should do for physics what Cosmos did for astronomy. Greene hosts the program on the relative new concept of String Theory, a potential (and explosive) answer to the Holy Grail of science: a single, ultimate theory for everything. Part of Greene's (along with filmmakers Julia Cort and Joseph McMaster) genius is the ability to explain complex issues with ease thanks to a generous helping of graphics and humor. It starts with a perplexing anecdote: Einstein died trying to figure out if there could be an ultimate theory. His General Theory of Relativity brought order to the laws of large objects, but could not explain the chancier world of Quantum Mechanics (which deals with atomic particles). String Theory tries to marry the two. Greene and many colleagues give us a history of the quest and how String Theory was "discovered" in the 1980s. The formula has a lot of quirks, the most dazzling being the insistence there's 11 dimensions in the universe. Greene is not as natural as Cosmos creator/host Carl Sagan, but he is certainly friendly and encouraging (albeit it's quite odd for the host to be interviewed at various times in the program). Because it's a three-part show, there is some overlap at the start of hours 2 and 3.

The Elegant Universe Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory Join host Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and the best-selling author of The Elegant Universe, for an in-depth exploration of the groundbreaking new string theory that will excite scientists and non-scientists alike. If string theory proves correct, the universe we see obscures a reality that is far richer and more complex than anyone ever imagined--a universe with numerous hidden dimensions, a universe in which the fabric of space can rip and tear, a universe that may be but one of many parallel universes

Beginning with simple and clear explanations of major concepts of physics, including gravity, electromagnetism, and relativity, The Elegant Universe illuminates how string theory proposes that the fundamental ingredients of nature are inconceivably tiny strands of energy, whose different modes of vibration underlie everything that happens in the universe. If proven correct, this theory of "everything" would unite the laws of the large--general relativity--and the laws of the small--quantum mechanics--breaking a conceptual logjam that has frustrated scientists for nearly a century.

Einstein’s Big Idea Everyone's heard of it, but what does E=mc2 really mean? With brilliant period recreations, discover how an obscure patent clerk, Albert Einstein, came up with his shattering 1905 discovery that the realms of matter and energy are inescapably linked. Starring Aidan McArdle (Ella Enchanted) as Einstein, and Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones’s Diary) as Einstein's first wife, Mileva Maric.

Einstein Revealed Journey into the mind of a genius in this penetrating profile of the world’s most renowned physicist, who contributed more than any other to our modern vision of physical reality. Andrew Sachs (Fawlty Towers) stars as Albert Einstein.

Galaxies, nebulae, and other astronomical elements simply float across the screen in brilliant clarity, fueled by New Age music by Opus 27. The images are mostly from the Hubble Space Telescope, along with some unique mosaics from several sources. The bigger your screen, the better for "plasma art" that could serve as the background at a party or a valentine to any star freak. You can even view the program in high definition if you have the right media set-up. Sometimes the images float in front of a wallpaper of stars that causes a 3-D effect or looks kinda hokey, depending on your point of view. You can find out what you are looking at by activating subtitles or by clicking a menu button that goes to a page-by-page detail about the subject and how the image was rendered. With literally out-of-this-world colors and textures, the beauty of the heavens is glorious to behold. Produced the same year Congress debates the fate of the Hubble (2004), this program serves record of the extraordinary worlds that are seen only by this workhorse satellite.

Stephen Hawking, author of the bestselling A Brief History of Time, presents here some of the most astonishing scientific advances in cosmological thought. Interviews with renowned researchers combined with strikingly artistic cinematography set the stage for this down-to-earth production on the mysteries of our universe. Relive the ingenuity of Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Hubble, and Einstein in Seeing Is Believing. Despite diagnosis with ALS, Hawking completed his Ph.D., developing a theory describing the precise conditions for the Big Bang. The history of chemistry, the periodic table, and Curie's radiation experiments in Cosmic Alchemy allowed Einstein's theory of relativity and revelations about the relationship between energy and matter. On the Dark Side delves into antimatter (proof that dark matter does exist), nutrinos, and nutrino hunters. Thanks to radio astronomy, SETI--the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence--is currently looking for alien communications in Black Holes and Beyond. Learn about quasars and the theoretical ramifications of black holes to the laws of physics. An Answer to Everything challenges Hawking and other prominent scientists to try to resolve the mystery of how the Big Bang began. Hawking's series is easy to follow, but it doesn't skimp on scientific detail or shy away from challenging concepts. An outstanding tour of the universe!

At the beginning of the century, discoveries about the hidden workings of the everyday world suggest all is not as it seems. Quantum theory, relativity, nuclear power, and clues about the birth and death of the universe have rocked our deepest beliefs. Mysteries of the Universe journeys from the subatomic world of the atom to the farthest reaches of space and time, and into the laboratories of the men and women whose work has forever altered physics and astronomy.

Highlights include: George Ellery Hale and the Mount Wilson telescope. Henrietta Leavitt. Edwin Hubble. Albert Einstein. Niels Bohr and the Quantum Theory of Matter. The structure of the atom. Jocelyn Bell and pulsars. The size of the universe. The Big Bang. Black holes. Quarks. Super colliders. Unified field and string theories.

Featuring incredible NASA images and original orchestral music, The Universe is a never-before-seen guided tour of the cosmos in widescreen anamorphic video and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound.

Using images from SOHO, Hubble, TRACE and other orbiting space telescopes, The Universe is a dynamic excursion through over 200 magnificent astronomical objects. Beginning with video of the sun’s broiling corona, the program proceeds through the solar system, traveling to the stars and nebulae of the Milky Way, and to galaxies as much as 14 billion light-years away.

The Universe is a mind-expanding trip into eternity. The viewer seems to travel through space, seeing grand panoramas, probing close-ups, and breathtaking vistas, all in full color.

An original score by Paul D. Lehrman and Tim Tully provides The Universe with a rich, Surround Sound tapestry combining symphonic and electronic timbres into a timeless musical experience. Renowned astronomers Alex Filippenko and Karel Schrijver offer insights into the world of contemporary astronomy.

A clear, concise narration names each object as it comes into view, giving its distance from Earth and the data astronomers derive from it. The overall effect is to bring the vast expanse of the cosmos into a clear overview.

The narration can be turned off so the viewer hears only the score: a rich suite of motifs, that weave through an array of variations, mixed in 5.1 surround sound, to take full advantage of the technology. A combination of ambient effects and instrumental placement richly evokes a feeling of being immersed in space with the flowing images of The Universe.

A grand overview of the universe as we understand it and how it may evolve in the new millennium, this series reflects the youth and vibrancy of today's astronomers at the cutting edge of science. They scour for clues throughout the solar system and beyond to tell us not only where we've been, but perhaps where we are going. Using stunning, state of the art 3D graphics, The Expanding Universe also animates sequences from the structures of the Big Bang to the anatomy of the sun.

Join astronomers and astrophysicists as they probe light years beyond the Milky Way, in Understanding The Universe, part of TLC's popular television series. Narrated by actress Candice Bergen, This enriching and entertaining video employs graphic models and spectacular computer animation to illustrate some of the most complex theories of all time. Peer through the largest telescopes on Earth. Get a close-up look at our sun, nebulas and supernovas, capture by the Hubble Space Telescope. Listen via satellite to echoes of the Big Bang. See how "red Shift" among the stars suggests that our universe if much younger than previously thought. Visit the set of Star Trek: Voyager and ponder the questions, could black holes be "worm holes," or shortcuts to other worlds? Understanding the Universe boldly goes where no television show has gone before.

Exciting, computer graphic animation illustrates your cosmic journey...inside the atom! This is a basic look at the building blocks of the universe.

Join leading scientists as they turn up clues to the origin and evolution of the universe, as this lavishly-filmed program explores today's most exciting and far-reaching theories. Among these fascinating investigations is the theory that the universe could have appeared spontaneously out of a perfect vacuum. Spectacular special effects and animation dramatize the birth of the universe. Nobel Prize winner Carlo Rubbia, Murray Gell-Man and world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking explain their complex theories in easy-to-follow terms.

This feature length presentation is a unique mixture of human interest and science documentary film. As the first comphrehensive documentary to deal with major new approaches in non-bing bang cosmologies, it reveals several deep-rooted theoretical and observational controversies.

This is a fact, well hidden from university students and the general public, which is told with clarity and conviction: and potentially leading to the down-fall of the presiding Big Bang theory.

The story is told by 16 world renown astronomers and cosmologist such as the legendary Sir Fred Hoyle, controversial cosmologists Geoffrey Burbidge and Halton Arp, philosopher and telescope designer John Dobson, astronomers Jack Sulentic, Jean-Claude Pecker, and Margaret Burbidge.

Illustrated with 3D animations and a lush symphonic soundtrack -this film is a scientific and historical "must" for anyone interested in astronomy and cosmology today.

DVD set includes bonus materials! Almost one hour of extra interviews and a short tribute film to Sir Fred Hoyle that is only available here.

Astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan is host and narrator of this 13-hour series that originally aired on Public Broadcasting Stations in the United States. Dr. Sagan describes the universe in a way that appeals to a mass audience, by using Earth as a reference point, by speaking in terms intelligible to non-scientific people, by relating the exploration of space to that of the Earth by pioneers of old, and by citing such Earth legends as the Library of Alexandria as metaphors for space-related future events. Among Dr. Sagan's favorite topics are the origins of life, the search for life on Mars, the infernal composition of the atmosphere of Venus and a warning about a similar effect taking place on Earth due to global pollution and the "greenhouse effect", the lives of stars, interstellar travel and the effects of attaining the speed of light, the danger of mankind technologically self-destructing, and the search, using radio technology, for intelligent life in deep space.

Origins is a spectacular four-part miniseries, first presented on PBS's Nova, about the beginnings of the universe, our solar system, life on Earth, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life on other planets. It is not a stretch to say that Origins, among all television documentaries about the evolving cosmos, offers the most breathtaking dramatic visual representation of Earth's tumultuous history, and the clearest, step-by-step explanation of the formation of planets, the development of water and living organisms, and the forces that shape other parts of our galaxy and beyond.

Hosted by the engaging Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, Origins consists of four one-hour episodes. The first focuses on the initial billion years of Earth history, research into the emergence of water (which appeared surprisingly early, as it turns out, and could have been delivered by comets) and the birth of the moon. The second show concerns hardy, single-cell organisms on Earth developing, in some quite inhospitable places, into complex life forms, while the third covers the Big Bang and the final installment looks at theories involving extraterrestrial life. If the topics sound familiar, their presentation is always fresh, dynamic, and thoroughly accessible. Watching Origins would be a great, context-providing preface to the study of a number of niche subjects, including geology, physics, biology, and much else. An invaluable production.

A collection of space documentaries filmed in the expansive IMAX format: Hail Columbia, The Dream is Alive, Blue Planet, Destiny in Space, and Mission to MIR.